Early Introduction (moving to Bremerton)

[brutus_scuba]

Hello All,

I am a senior at The Ohio State University, but only until June after that I will be moving to the Pacific North West. I am going to accept a job in Bremerton, WA. I am looking forward to getting in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean. j/k, I have been diving dry for a close to a year now, and have done some ice dives here in Ohio so I think I'm ready for the frigid waters of the Puget Sound.

I stopped in one dive shop near Bremerton while I made my most recent visit and one near the Edmonds scuba park. Where are the best dive sites near Bremerton? Also, I like to make a weekend of diving and taking some camping gear and camp out and dive for the weekend is there anywhere I could do that around the sound or any nearby lakes where I could camp on the shore and dive right off shore?

Also I may be coming to SB for help in the move with questions about the area.

Any help would be great,

Austin

 

[PinkPADIgal]

Austin,

Most of the diving in the PNW is in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. There is some lake diving but almost everyone exclusively dives in salt water.

There are about 100 dives sites within 45 minutes of Bremerton. Many are shore dives, and plenty of boat dives too.

Sound Dive in Bremerton is your local LDS. Geoff and his staff can make sure you have everything you need. It is a NAUI/PADI shop.

You are about 30 minute drive to Tacoma/Lakewood/Puyallup where there are 4 shops, and 30 minutes by ferry to Seattle where there are many more within 20 minutes of the ferry.

Puget Sound is about 50-54 degrees in the summer, and 44-48 degrees in the winter. The diving is amazing and you will love the variety of life there is in our waters. Your drysuit will get a good workout.

 

[Bobbin-along]

Diving in Bremerton.

You have Harper Dock in Port Orchard.
You have Illahee State Park in Bremerton (camp/diveable)
You have Brownsville public dock

THose are the hot 3, abeit all are relatively shallow (under 50') and pretty flat.

There was an old steamer that went down near waterman and the old timers go there to dig up artifacts like dolls, bottles, etc.

Drift diving the Agate Pass Bridge is a fun dive but we prefer to do with a chase boat not beachside.

Another great boat dive is Waterman's wall but VERY current dependent and an advanced dive as you end up within inches of the ferries "lane" and a deep bottom.

Bainbridge has Norrander for a shore dive and Blakely Rock and Blakely Harbor for boat dives.
If you like to look at gravel and hermit crabs you can dive Fae Bainbridge park. I also haven't had much enthusiasm for Fort Word park on the island.


You are also just a hop skip and jump from Hood Canal and Port Townsend which have fantastic diving. Some of my favorite dives, from Sund Rock and Octopus Hole on the canal to Downtown PT, Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, Discovery Bay, North Beach, and Port Hadlock.

Camping DIving, OK you are now one of our new best friends as we do this wherever we can.

Lake Crescent is deep, cold, and freshwater with a couple of campgrounds nearby.
Fort Worden in Port Townsend is literally diving and camping within feet of each other. We set up camp near the batteries and walk into the water. Some folks do Quinault Lake as well..... Haven't done it been meaning to.

We also do an overnight on Blake Island, which of course is only accessible by boat. We grab a buoy for the boat and dive from the dink. If friends don't want to stay on the boat and camp on the island they can do that by taking the zodiac to the beach. We try to do this a couple times a year as it's just a riot to do.

PM if you want to meet up and hit the water sometime as we are North Kitsap people

 

[turtle_guy]

Howdy and a pre-emptive welcome to my neck of the woods. I live here in bremerton and am always looking for a new dive buddy.

 

[brutus_scuba]

Diving in Bremerton.

You have Harper Dock in Port Orchard.
You have Illahee State Park in Bremerton (camp/diveable)
You have Brownsville public dock

THose are the hot 3, abeit all are relatively shallow (under 50') and pretty flat.

There was an old steamer that went down near waterman and the old timers go there to dig up artifacts like dolls, bottles, etc.

Drift diving the Agate Pass Bridge is a fun dive but we prefer to do with a chase boat not beachside.

Another great boat dive is Waterman's wall but VERY current dependent and an advanced dive as you end up within inches of the ferries "lane" and a deep bottom.

Bainbridge has Norrander for a shore dive and Blakely Rock and Blakely Harbor for boat dives.
If you like to look at gravel and hermit crabs you can dive Fae Bainbridge park. I also haven't had much enthusiasm for Fort Word park on the island.


You are also just a hop skip and jump from Hood Canal and Port Townsend which have fantastic diving. Some of my favorite dives, from Sund Rock and Octopus Hole on the canal to Downtown PT, Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, Discovery Bay, North Beach, and Port Hadlock.

Camping DIving, OK you are now one of our new best friends as we do this wherever we can.

Lake Crescent is deep, cold, and freshwater with a couple of campgrounds nearby.
Fort Worden in Port Townsend is literally diving and camping within feet of each other. We set up camp near the batteries and walk into the water. Some folks do Quinault Lake as well..... Haven't done it been meaning to.

We also do an overnight on Blake Island, which of course is only accessible by boat. We grab a buoy for the boat and dive from the dink. If friends don't want to stay on the boat and camp on the island they can do that by taking the zodiac to the beach. We try to do this a couple times a year as it's just a riot to do.

PM if you want to meet up and hit the water sometime as we are North Kitsap people

Fort Worden sounds like what I"m used to being able to be in the water and talking to folks at the camp site. Blake Island sounds like a great time it gets me more excited all the time to be moving up there. It's unfortunate I won't be coming till August, but once i"m out there I'll be diving all year.

I figured Bremerton has to have a good number of divers with all the PSNS right there.

I tried to dive the Edmonds scuba park when I came out for my job interview but my gear was lost by the airlines, it was a real pain in the rear, but I still walked down to the park and talked to some divers getting in.

My girlfriend has never dove dry, but she is going to inherit my dry suit when we move out there, and I'm going to get a new one. She is getting an enviromentally sealed reg for her birthday she's going to be ready by the time we get out there.

 

[igotag!]

Fort Worden sounds like what I"m used to being able to be in the water and talking to folks at the camp site. Blake Island sounds like a great time it gets me more excited all the time to be moving up there. It's unfortunate I won't be coming till August, but once i"m out there I'll be diving all year.

I figured Bremerton has to have a good number of divers with all the PSNS right there.

I tried to dive the Edmonds scuba park when I came out for my job interview but my gear was lost by the airlines, it was a real pain in the rear, but I still walked down to the park and talked to some divers getting in.

My girlfriend has never dove dry, but she is going to inherit my dry suit when we move out there, and I'm going to get a new one. She is getting an enviromentally sealed reg for her birthday she's going to be ready by the time we get out there.

Were you the guy that came in with his wife to Sound Dive, that is getting a job at the shipyard? If so I was the guy working that day that showed you the NW Dive book. If you want to see some good dive sites within an hour or so go to PNWScuba. When you get here come back in and we will take you out diving with us!

 

[VooDooGasMan]

brutus, the camp and dive is wealthy here as in washington to canada. go to san juan county park on san juan isle, there is a dive site there. then drive 5 min south and dive lime kiln lighthouse. if the orcas are around its a viewing spot for them. Ive seen orcas and gray whales on the lime kiln wall. on the east side is Rueban tart park, if you have about a 1000 psi left in the tanks, you just dive around the head, shallow but enough sealife and vis for 20 to 30 min dive.

local dive books will show the other shore sites.

The enviormentaly sealed reg is not necessary here, not saying don't get one, just in the salt water here your reg wont freeze up.

camp and dive in bc canada is plentyful also.

 

[brutus_scuba]

Were you the guy that came in with his wife to Sound Dive, that is getting a job at the shipyard? If so I was the guy working that day that showed you the NW Dive book. If you want to see some good dive sites within an hour or so go to PNWScuba. When you get here come back in and we will take you out diving with us!

Yes that was me. Although that was my girlfriend but still that was me, we're very excited.

 

[igotag!]

Yes that was me. Although that was my girlfriend but still that was me, we're very excited.

Woops! Well swing back by when you get here and we'll get you wet!

 

[brutus_scuba]

So here's an odd question for the PNW. Are there any wet caves in the area. It seems to me like with the geography of the area there might be a few but I've never heard of anyone cave diving in the PNW so I was wondering if it existed at all? What's the story?

Austin